Gives Maryland residents more time to order flowers, book restaurants, buy gifts and plan getaways

BALTIMORE (February 12, 2010) – Recognizing that the one-two combination snow storms impacted the celebration of Valentine's Day statewide, Governor Martin O'Malley officially extended Cupid's festivities through February 21, 2010.

"Maryland citizens have been busy dealing with the unprecedented snowfall this past week," said Governor Martin O'Malley.  "Planning Valentine's Day activities, such as ordering flowers, buying gifts, or booking restaurants and overnight getaways, might not have happened.  By extending Valentine's Day another week, Marylanders can celebrate with their loved ones while supporting the local businesses who depend on these holiday festivities for their economic well-being."

"Restaurants across the state are back open and ready to welcome all Marylanders suffering from cabin fever," reported Paul Hartgen, president & CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland.  "With two Restaurant Weeks planned for next week – Annapolis is hosting one from February 15-21, and the National Harbor Restaurant Week actually runs two weeks from February 15-28 – the Governor's extension of this popular holiday for dining out comes at an excellent time for Maryland diners looking to get out of their homes and celebrate."

Having another week to shop for "that special someone" will be good for relationships across the state – and good for local retailers, particularly florists.  "Our ability to deliver beautiful fresh flowers, especially at major floral holidays like Valentine's Day, is critical to the retail florist industry.  Extending the holiday into Valentine's Week will absolutely help the 25 members of the Baltimore Florists Delivery Cooperative survive as we continue to climb out of these challenging times," commented Kathy Sanner, owner of Perry Hall Florist in Baltimore.  Shopping centers and Main Street districts are eager to welcome back Marylanders looking for other traditional gifts – from Valentine's Day candy and chocolates to perfume and sparkling jewelry.  For more non-traditional gift ideas, consider tickets to a local performing arts venue, gift cards for movie theatres, or check out the unusual offerings at museum gift shops.

Perhaps the best gift would be time spent together.  "Mid-winter is the perfect time to plan any type of getaway in Maryland.  We have hundreds of romantic lodging options – from B&Bs and small inns to urban hotels and relaxing resorts.  Families will find amazing outdoor recreation across the State.  For example, in Western Maryland the weekend of February 20-21 there's Winterfest in Oakland while Wisp hosts the Maryland Open for freestyle skiers and riders on the 20th.  Many of our destinations are highlighting group travel, such as the Girlfriends Getaways promotion in Cambridge," said Margot A. Amelia, executive director of the Maryland Office of Tourism.

For more information on Maryland getaways, call (866) 639-3526 or visit www.visitmaryland.org, and then click on "Order Your Maryland Vacation Travel Kit Today".  Mailings include Destination Maryland, the state's official guide to travel, the 2010 Maryland Calendar of Events and a Maryland State Highway map.

About Maryland tourism

The Maryland Office of Tourism is an agency of the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts within the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.  Recently reported visitor data shows that the state welcomed more than 28 million visitors in 2008 who spent nearly $14.5 billion on travel-related expenses – a 3.2 percent increase in spending over 2007.  During 2008, the Maryland tourism industry also generated close to $1.8 billion in state and local taxes and provided 146,000 jobs to Maryland residents.